People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
